Proposed 2026 Republican Party Platform
Black Hawk County, Iowa
Preamble
As Republicans, we believe--as our Founders--that we are all created equal, and our fundamental rights are bestowed upon us by our common Creator. It is in adherence to this Natural Order that we recognize our rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness come not from mankind or government (ordained through any Earthly process), but from God. These rights of the Created are enjoyed and worthy of protection at the moment of physical conception. We believe that these rights, and all others enumerated in our Constitution, are preserved through the right to Freedom of Religious expression. We uphold the principles of liberty and individual responsibility, adherence to traditional moral values, a strong national defense, and the American free enterprise system.
Platform Principles
I. Our nation is a Constitutional Republic whose Foundation is the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution.
We acknowledge our rights derive from God, our Creator, and are therefore unalienable and include Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Further, the Right to Life is understood to include all people from conception to natural death. Private property ownership is essential for freedom and the basis upon which a great civilization is built. We are a nation governed by representatives elected to public office by its citizens. We uphold the constitutionally limited and prescribed roles of the three branches of government. Our Constitution provides enumerated, limited powers—and only those powers—to the federal government. All other powers are left to the individual States or to the people. We are concerned about the erosion of religious liberty, privacy, free speech, our right to free assembly, private ownership of property and gun ownership rights.
II. We are a Sovereign Nation.
Our Sovereign Nation is defined by its borders, governed by a set of laws duly established by our representatives as guided by our Constitution, and protected by a military strong enough to defend our nation and its interests against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Foundational to our Republic is equality before the law of all its citizens.
III. The Oath of Office of all civil servants, elected and employed, defines their actions.
As citizens, we hold accountable our elected officials to their individual Oath of Office.
IV. Fiscal Responsibility is a fundamental function of any local, state or federal entity.
It is imperative that government entities act in a financially responsible manner; it follows that limiting the size and scope of government is a necessary component of achieving this end.
V. Personal Responsibility is a tenet of citizenship.
We are a nation guided by a common vision. As Americans we have equal opportunity under the law, limited only by our abilities and motivations. We take personal responsibility for our individual success which empowers us to be compassionately considerate of others. As citizens we are not servants of the government. We have the responsibility to voice our will. Our possibilities are limitless where a free market is allowed to operate without government distortion.
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Life
1. We believe that life begins at conception and must be protected until natural death.
2. We oppose all forms of elective abortion, including chemical abortifacients that end human life.
3. We believe the selling, gifting, brokering, marketing, or use of aborted fetal or aborted perinatal tissue should be illegal.
4. We oppose taxpayer funding for organizations providing abortions (such as Planned Parenthood). We commend and support those who provide alternatives to abortion by meeting the needs of parents and offering adoptive services.
5. We favor improving and simplifying adoption laws and encourage placement with traditional families.
6. We support the Protect Life Amendment to the Iowa constitution
7. The state of Iowa recognizes the rights protected in the 14th Amendment of the US constitution as applicable to all persons, prior to birth, having a discernable heartbeat.
8. We support non-embryonic stem cell research, such as adult stem cells, while opposing human cloning and using fetal tissue from abortions.
9. We oppose so-called “gender affirming care”
10. We oppose the non-consensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from people with disabilities, including newborns, the elderly, and infirmed. We oppose active and passive euthanasia, assisted suicide, and misuse of palliative care which hastens end of life.
Liberty
1. We call for the repeal of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in the Iowa Civil Rights Code and reject any additional similar legislation to Local, State or National Code.
2. We support the 1st Amendment’s prohibition on government restriction of prayer in Public Schools and Public Places. The current Pledge of Allegiance should be recited and the American Flag displayed in every classroom.
3. We strongly believe in the constitutionally protected natural right of individuals to keep and bear arms, and we support the repeal of existing laws that infringe upon those rights.
4. We believe that parents are responsible for their children and we support the rights of parents to be the ultimate authority for the discipline, protection, medical and mental health decisions, and education of their children.
5. We oppose vaccine passports.
6. We oppose the use of digital ID’s and facial recognition programs in public areas.
7. We support “Conscience Clause” legislation so that no person, business, or organization can be penalized for its exercise of religious freedom by not providing services that violate their religious beliefs.
8. We support legislation that would prohibit any organization, (e.g., Planned Parenthood), from entering public school properties for the purpose of promoting promiscuous behavior or distributing abortion products, videos, or printed material.
9. We strongly support local education control and stress that curriculum follow a traditional focus on reading, writing, math, civics (Iowa and US Constitutions), and sciences. We reject Iowa Core and social indoctrination of children by any name (Critical Race Theory, Identity-based theories, Social Emotional Learning, or forms of group identity and victimization).
10. We believe that voting rights should be restored statutorily rather than by executive determination.
11. We call for gun-free zone liability laws that make organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and government entities liable for the protection and safety of individuals within that zone.
12. We demand Iowa DNR respect the 4th Amendment. They must have a probable legal cause, or a search warrant to be on private property.
13. We recognize only two biological sexes: male (XY) and female (XX). Biological sex at birth shall determine one’s participation in or use of restrooms, locker rooms, sport teams or other such accommodations or institutions.
14. We believe that traditional, two parent (one male (XY) and one female (XX)), marriage-based families are the foundation to a stable, enduring, and healthy civilization. We encourage the repeal of all laws allowing any marriage that is not between one natural man and one natural woman.
15. We oppose all mandates or coercive activity on the part of any business, educational and medical institutions, employer or governmental entity relative to the inquiry about or administering of medical treatments, procedures or interventions for individuals or their children. We strongly believe that all medical decisions are an inalienable natural right and any information pertaining to medical decisions should not be stored or shared with a government database/registry unless they have received consent of the individual or guardian.
16. We support healthcare providers' rights to prescribe or recommend treatment or therapy in accordance with their Hippocratic oath without interference or threat to their medical license.
17. We recognize the rights of parents in the education of their children to be informed 30 days prior to what is taught in the student’s classroom.
18. We support strict laws to eliminate human trafficking and encourage severe prosecution of traffickers.
19. Authorized, properly trained personnel should be allowed to carry firearms in our schools.
20. We support reciprocity between all states for gun carry permits.
21. We believe FDA approvals should be transparent and free from special interest lobbying.
22. We support an educational requirement that prior to graduation all students must pass the same test that legal immigrants take to become US citizens.
23. The 4th Amendment is not for sale – We support a ban on the government hiring of entities to spy on Americans.
24. We support elective Bible Study in School.
Property
1. We support legislation requiring all government agency regulations by all (e.g. EPA, Dept. of Ag, Dept. of Interior, etc.) relating to private property and the public good receive congressional authorization prior to their implementation.
2. We oppose government use of eminent domain to take private property away from owners for the use of another private party, including carbon capture pipelines.
3. We demand the end of property tax and restructuring funding to a sales tax.
4. We support the right of property owners to vote on bond issues in any district where they pay property tax whether they are a resident of the district or not.
5. We support laws prohibiting ownership of United States farmland, property, or other assets by foreign governments or entities controlled by such.
6. We believe anyone moving into or already living in areas zoned previously for a particular use be prohibited from filing “nuisance lawsuits” which are antagonistic to such zoning if defendants are in compliance with all governing laws.
7. All government fees assessed must be passed by the duly elected governmental body.
8. We support elimination of all state and federal “estate” taxes, but support retaining the stepped-up basis for estates to ensure heirs inherit assets with no additional tax burden.
9. We oppose the infringement upon private property rights by the Waters of the United States Rule, similar rules, or agendas (e.g. 30 by 30 / 50 by 50 initiatives).
10. We support a Transfer on Death Deed for Iowans.
National Sovereignty & Defense
1. We call for the immediate completion of the Southern border wall.
2. We support legal immigration based on a merit system, common sense improvements to our immigration process (including ending chain migration, anchor baby citizenship, and the lottery visa), strict enforcement of our current immigration laws, and no government benefits for illegal aliens (except for emergency medical care). We oppose amnesty for any illegal alien.
3. We support expediting the deportation of illegal aliens and stopping the practice of federal agencies distributing illegal immigrants throughout the US.
4. We support the President’s reinstatement of the Migration Protection Protocols or “Remain in Mexico” executive order which also ended “catch and release”.
5. We support enforcement of laws and withholding of government funding from companies who deliberately circumvent immigration laws.
6. We oppose sanctuary states, counties, and cities for illegal immigrants.
7. We affirm Israel’s right to exist.
8. We support the rights of citizens to travel freely without government scrutiny or impediment.
9. We oppose surrendering our sovereignty to global organizations or treaties.
10. We believe that welfare entitlements should be both temporary and limited in scope and should be unavailable to illegal immigrants.
11. We advocate fair treatment of veterans including full health care coverage and income tax pension exemption for them and their widows(ers).
12. We oppose global government initiatives such as Agenda 2030 and its many local incarnations (including form-based zoning).
13. We believe the United States should never sacrifice its sovereignty or relinquish control of its soil or its citizens to the United Nations or any other international body. We believe our armed forces should only serve the United States, our Constitution, and the American flag.
14. We support appropriation of money to harden the U.S. electrical grid and broadband infrastructure to protect it from being destroyed by natural events, nuclear weapons (EMP) or cyber-attacks.
15. We oppose funding for any political, agricultural, financial, scientific, or educational institution which includes members of the Chinese Communist Party.
Commerce
1. We oppose governmental distortion of the free market through subsidies, bailouts, and mandates.
2. We oppose the current regulatory environment that encourages carbon credit trading, carbon taxes, and cap and trade. We reject the carbon capture pipeline and similar projects.
3. We believe energy independence must be the preeminent goal of our public policy.
4. We support the ban of traffic violation cameras.
5. We oppose the creation and use of social scoring such as ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance).
6. We support the elimination of all public sector unions.
7. We oppose all government mandates and efforts associated with alleged man-made global warming and/or climate change.
8. We support full periodic audits of the Federal Reserve Bank.
9. We reject any legislative movement toward a government-controlled and monitored cashless society.
10. We support the review of the current student loan programs providing loans to students for higher education with the intent to lower the cost of higher education.
11. We oppose the state of Iowa allowing more casinos.
12. We call on the Iowa Legislature and Governor to encourage and promote organic, sustainable farming practices and create a plan for removing pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides from standard farming practices.
13. We support national advancement in all forms of efficient, sustainable energy, and urge Iowa to lead by being the first in the Nation to deploy commercially viable Micro-Modular-Reactor (MMR) energy stations to power Iowa agriculture, industry, and communities.
14. As Republicans supporting Free Market Principles, we oppose the subsidies that are prerequisite to the construction of money-losing, bird-killing, wind turbines and call a halt to their future construction if subsidized or incentivized by gov't money from any source.
15. We support migrating away from a fiat money system.
Government
1. We support free, fair, safe, and secure elections that allow only eligible US citizens with valid photo IDs to vote; no tolerance for voter fraud including abuse of ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting; no foreign or private interference in US elections and strict guidelines for absentee ballots; auditable election records for all races and routine voter roll maintenance to ensure accuracy. We support in-person balloting as opposed to mail-in balloting.
2. We oppose same-day voter registration, including at Iowa caucuses.
3. We oppose ranked-choice voting.
4. We support the sole use of serialized, hand-countable and watermarked paper ballots.
5. We support retaining the Electoral College as defined in the Constitution of the United States. We oppose the National Popular Vote Compact. Only U.S. citizens should be counted for electoral vote apportionment.
6. We oppose term limits for Congress.
7. The Black Hawk County Republican party does not take a position on holding a convention of states.
8. We support the requirement that legislation should pertain to one topic, not omnibus, and that unrelated amendments to bills should be prohibited. We believe legislation should never exempt legislators or governmental employees or entities.
9. We support providing sufficient mental health resources for the needs of Iowans and require accountability and oversight of state and privately provided mental health services.
10. We support the complete repeal of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) and replacement with a free market solution.
11. We support lowering taxes and reducing the size, scope and scale of government; toward this end, we advocate limiting federal expenditures to only areas prescribed by the enumerated powers of the United States Constitution. We also support a systemic and expedited reduction of the national debt.
12. We support replacing the current complex progressive income tax system with either a consumption-based tax, or a flat tax.
13. We support English as the official language for the United States and the state of Iowa.
14. We support an audit of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to establish policies that would promote the future viability of benefits to potential recipients.
15. Judges and courts can only apply the law and give opinion. We support legislation designed to enact Tort Reform. We believe in equal application of the law and oppose increasing the number of Supreme Court Justices.
16. We support the elimination of malevolent or unconstitutional federal agencies.
17. We support drug testing for welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid recipients, and establishing consequences for abuse.
18. We support laws that limit and restrain the governor’s authority to act by executive action during a medical or other emergency without the guidance or input of the legislative council after being under emergency order for 15 days. No emergency declaration can usurp constitutional rights.
19. We oppose all efforts of schools, libraries, and public places regarding the sexual indoctrination of children, including but not limited to, the distribution of pornographic and obscene materials, teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation, or promoting sexual deviances.
20. We support elected officials applying the 10th Amendment to limit the overreach of the federal government.
21. We strongly support and believe in full and adequate funding for our military, veterans, law enforcement, and other first responders.
22. IPERS should be required by law to divest from holdings in China and should not make investments based on ESG, DEI, or political factors.
23. We believe that all elected officials must exemplify professional integrity and be bound by the same rules, regulations, and laws as the general public.
24. We support Iowa remaining “First in the Nation” for Presidential Caucuses and endorse the free use of taxpayer funded institutions for the caucuses.
25. We support reforms to the Communications Decency Act (section 230) to add liability for content back to the publisher. We oppose ideological censorship by large social media platforms, such as Facebook (Meta), Twitter (X), or YouTube.
26. We oppose any law (Administrative Law) not created by legislative action.
27. We oppose statehood for Washington D.C.
28. We oppose legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
29. We support curbing government corruption by addressing insider trading, increasing financial disclosures, and reforming campaign finance rules.
30. We support a pay freeze with no back-pay for Congress when the budget is in a deficit.
31. Tax increment finance districts (TIF) should be required to have a sunset clause and there should be limits to their renewal.
32. We support state and local law enforcement cooperation with ICE.
33. Governments should not be given the ability to divert money away from property tax levies which were voted on by the people.
34. We support the 17th Amendment and oppose its repeal.
35. We support restrictions on out-of-state monies being used for state and city campaigns, but not Presidential campaigns.
